diff --git a/lex.c b/lex.c
index 722e5e3..5cddd4a 100644
--- a/lex.c
+++ b/lex.c
@@ -236,6 +236,7 @@ enum LexToken LexGetStringConstant(struct LexState *Lexer, struct Value *Value)
     const char *EndPos;
     char *EscBuf;
     char *EscBufPos;
+    char *RegString;
     struct Value *ArrayValue;
     
     while (Lexer->Pos != Lexer->End && (*Lexer->Pos != '"' || Escape))
@@ -256,11 +257,21 @@ enum LexToken LexGetStringConstant(struct LexState *Lexer, struct Value *Value)
     for (EscBufPos = EscBuf, Lexer->Pos = StartPos; Lexer->Pos != EndPos;)
         *EscBufPos++ = LexUnEscapeCharacter(&Lexer->Pos, EndPos);
     
-    ArrayValue = VariableAllocValueAndData(NULL, sizeof(struct ArrayValue), FALSE, NULL, TRUE);
-    ArrayValue->Typ = CharArrayType;
-    ArrayValue->Val->Array.Size = EscBufPos - EscBuf + 1;
-    ArrayValue->Val->Array.Data = TableStrRegister2(EscBuf, EscBufPos - EscBuf);
+    /* try to find an existing copy of this string literal */
+    RegString = TableStrRegister2(EscBuf, EscBufPos - EscBuf);
     HeapPopStack(EscBuf, EndPos - StartPos);
+    ArrayValue = VariableStringLiteralGet(RegString);
+    if (ArrayValue == NULL)
+    {
+        /* create and store this string literal */
+        ArrayValue = VariableAllocValueAndData(NULL, sizeof(struct ArrayValue), FALSE, NULL, TRUE);
+        ArrayValue->Typ = CharArrayType;
+        ArrayValue->Val->Array.Size = EscBufPos - EscBuf + 1;
+        ArrayValue->Val->Array.Data = RegString;
+        VariableStringLiteralDefine(RegString, ArrayValue);
+    }
+
+    /* create the the pointer for this char* */
     Value->Typ = CharPtrType;
     Value->Val->Pointer.Segment = ArrayValue;
     Value->Val->Pointer.Data.Offset = 0;
diff --git a/picoc.h b/picoc.h
index 22c93cb..affd520 100644
--- a/picoc.h
+++ b/picoc.h
@@ -311,6 +311,8 @@ void VariableGet(struct ParseState *Parser, const char *Ident, struct Value **LV
 void VariableDefinePlatformVar(struct ParseState *Parser, char *Ident, struct ValueType *Typ, union AnyValue *FromValue, int IsWritable);
 void VariableStackFrameAdd(struct ParseState *Parser, int NumParams);
 void VariableStackFramePop(struct ParseState *Parser);
+struct Value *VariableStringLiteralGet(char *Ident);
+void VariableStringLiteralDefine(char *Ident, struct Value *Val);
 
 /* library.c */
 void LibraryInit(struct Table *GlobalTable, const char *LibraryName, struct LibraryFunction (*FuncList)[]);
diff --git a/platform.h b/platform.h
index 6d02501..dfd1d75 100644
--- a/platform.h
+++ b/platform.h
@@ -13,8 +13,9 @@
 #define LARGE_INT_POWER_OF_TEN 1000000000   /* the largest power of ten which fits in an int on this architecture */
 #define ARCH_ALIGN_WORDSIZE sizeof(int)     /* memory alignment boundary on this architecture */
 
-#define GLOBAL_TABLE_SIZE 397               /* global variable table */
+#define GLOBAL_TABLE_SIZE 97                /* global variable table */
 #define STRING_TABLE_SIZE 97                /* shared string table size */
+#define STRING_LITERAL_TABLE_SIZE 97        /* string literal table size */
 #define PARAMETER_MAX 16                    /* maximum number of parameters to a function */
 #define LINEBUFFER_MAX 256                  /* maximum number of characters on a line */
 #define LOCAL_TABLE_SIZE 11                 /* size of local variable table (can expand) */
diff --git a/variable.c b/variable.c
index 102e6a5..d0a72ab 100644
--- a/variable.c
+++ b/variable.c
@@ -4,6 +4,10 @@
 struct Table GlobalTable;
 struct TableEntry *GlobalHashTable[GLOBAL_TABLE_SIZE];
 
+/* the table of string literal values */
+struct Table StringLiteralTable;
+struct TableEntry *StringLiteralHashTable[STRING_LITERAL_TABLE_SIZE];
+
 /* the stack */
 struct StackFrame *TopStackFrame = NULL;
 
@@ -12,20 +16,21 @@ struct StackFrame *TopStackFrame = NULL;
 void VariableInit()
 {
     TableInitTable(&GlobalTable, &GlobalHashTable[0], GLOBAL_TABLE_SIZE, TRUE);
+    TableInitTable(&StringLiteralTable, &StringLiteralHashTable[0], STRING_LITERAL_TABLE_SIZE, TRUE);
     TopStackFrame = NULL;
 }
 
-/* deallocate the global table */
-void VariableCleanup()
+/* deallocate the global table and the string literal table */
+void VariableTableCleanup(struct Table *HashTable)
 {
     struct TableEntry *Entry;
     struct TableEntry *NextEntry;
     struct Value *Val;
     int Count;
     
-    for (Count = 0; Count < GlobalTable.Size; Count++)
+    for (Count = 0; Count < HashTable->Size; Count++)
     {
-        for (Entry = GlobalTable.HashTable[Count]; Entry != NULL; Entry = NextEntry)
+        for (Entry = HashTable->HashTable[Count]; Entry != NULL; Entry = NextEntry)
         {
             NextEntry = Entry->Next;
             Val = Entry->p.v.Val;
@@ -37,6 +42,12 @@ void VariableCleanup()
     }
 }
 
+void VariableCleanup()
+{
+    VariableTableCleanup(&GlobalTable);
+    VariableTableCleanup(&StringLiteralTable);
+}
+
 /* allocate some memory, either on the heap or the stack and check if we've run out */
 void *VariableAlloc(struct ParseState *Parser, int Size, int OnHeap)
 {
@@ -216,3 +227,20 @@ void VariableStackFramePop(struct ParseState *Parser)
     TopStackFrame = TopStackFrame->PreviousStackFrame;
     HeapPopStackFrame();
 }
+
+/* get a string literal. assumes that Ident is already registered. NULL if not found */
+struct Value *VariableStringLiteralGet(char *Ident)
+{
+    struct Value *LVal = NULL;
+
+    if (TableGet(&StringLiteralTable, Ident, &LVal))
+        return LVal;
+    else
+        return NULL;
+}
+
+/* define a string literal. assumes that Ident is already registered */
+void VariableStringLiteralDefine(char *Ident, struct Value *Val)
+{
+    TableSet(&StringLiteralTable, Ident, Val);
+}